[DocSanae]

Can see the weightloss?
I keep worrying that I'm going to gain again!!

These are a couple of Qs that come up often.
So, I have chatted with CraigT and asked him, how was it for him?
I posted his As within another thread, but I am copying it here for all of you to see, just in case you've missed it.

For all of you.
I put this Q to CraigT the other day, seeing as he's the farthest out.
Do you ever see the "fat" you in the mirror, or do you ever find yourself thinking in the "fat" mode, and if you don't now, how long did it take for you to stop thinking that way?
His A was "my real breaking point there was the CD photo shoot."
That was in Oct 2002, and his surgery was in May 1997.

I also asked him, "do you still get scared that you might regain your weight?"
He said, "periodically. not right now because of my daily activity. I am actually losing weight right now without trying, but when I am on the couch I do gain and therefor get worried about it. but that's the same a normal person does."

Me: How long did it take for you to get into that mind set?
"I think it was a couple of years, but it's more about my action or inaction. my thought process follows closely behind. I wish it was ahead of the game , but it is not."
He also said, "food just doesn't have the pleasure response that is used to."
"If I am eating too much, it is usually out of boredom, and a need for pleasure."
Keep in mind, "I speak from only my point of view."

I hope this makes sense to you. Although some things may be different with you, you may find his words hit home for you. You've been dealing with your weight for how many years? It's going to take a long time for you to be completely free in that sense, for many of you, a normal weight range, or a slightly overweight range at most, is not an experience you've had in a long time, so it's going to take a long time in getting used to.

[ChuppyGirl]

Dear Doc and Craig,

Thanks for sharing these thoughts with us. I truely had my eyes focused just in the last month or so and started to see the change!! I still see that I need to lose a bunch (115lbs) is another normal woman adult!!
I hope with not having time to eat or think about food when I'm at Leeds, with lots of walking between labs and classrooms, we'll have lots of field trips all of these togethe will help me to lose in the coming year most of my excess weight.
it just feeks me out to picture myself trying to climb mountains with my current weight and other students laugh at me because I know it would be tough to climb up with these big hips and things

[Pillows]

oh Hanadi...I am sure that you will do just fine honey. I am so proud of you for what you have accomplished so far. You are such a wonderful person and you are so good to post your eating every day. I am so impressed with how many good choices you make and all the effort you show in working out and being active. I am so excited for you to be back in school soon and all the fun learning you have ahead of you.
Janae

[Kat]

Thanks for the post, Doc. I have been thinking and wondering about these very subjects recently. Sometimes I brush against different parts of my body that no longer have so much padding. It freaks me out a bit...like part of me is missing. The next minute I will be wondering when my "loosing streak" is going to end and when are my jeans going to start being uncomfortable. I keep reminding myself that that was then and this is now. It's a new ball game, but I still have to watch and think about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. It helps to know other people have similar thoughts.
Kat

[JLR12679]

Doc,

Thanks so much for posting this, I really appreciate it, this way I can look back at it after surgery and say I know that my feelings are typical of most others.